This invention relates in general to tying knots and more particularly to a device which facilitates tying knots in thin lines which are otherwise difficult to manipulate; and to a method for tying knots using the device.
Fly fishing demands a considerable amount of skill, not only in casting the fly-line, but also in selecting equipment for the varying conditions one encounters in that sport. Aside from the fly itself, perhaps the most important selection the fly fisherman must make is the leader which connects the fly to the fishing line. Normally, the leader is tapered, its large or butt end being attached to the fishing line and its smaller or terminal end to the fly. To an experienced fisherman, the length as well as the diameter of the leader throughout that length, depend on several variables, such as, the size and configuration of the fly, the size of fish the fisherman expects to catch, the wind over the waters, the turbulence of the waters, the clarity of the waters, and the velocity and direction of the current in the waters.
Typically, a leader will range from as short as 6 or 7 feet to as long as 12 to 15 feet. Some leaders possess a true taper, that is, they undergo a gradual change in diameter from the butt end to the terminal end without any interruptions in the leader material. Other leaders consist of lengths of varying diameter leader material tied together. Many fishermen favor the latter, that is the knotted leader, in that it enables them to tailor the leader to their own needs. But irrespective of whether the fisherman uses a truly tapered leader or a knotted leader, the fisherman will usually find it necessary to replace the end section or segment of the leader, often called the tippet, for this is where the leader is thinnest and weakest, and where it will break if its capacity is exceeded. A knot in the leader will repair the break. Aside from that, when a fisherman changes to a smaller fly, a thinner tippet is often required--a tippet which is attached to the remainder of the leader with a knot. Hence, the typical fisherman must tie knots from time to time in leader material, which is usually monofilament line.
The knots which join the lengths of leader material must of course accommodate the varying diameters of leader material, yet must be small so as to not only minimize the shadow cast by the leader when on water, but to further pass through the guides on a fishing rod without snagging. It goes without saying that the knot must be strong. The true blood knot meets these requirements, but blood knots are difficult to tie, at least in thin monofilament leader material, and indeed to tie such knots one must possess good eyesight and considerable manual dexterity. Devices exist for aiding one in tying so-called blood knots--knots which are not true blood knots in that the lines which are joined are twisted together in a manner which allows the twists so formed to unravel when unrestrained. A true blood knot, on the other hand, has the lines wrapped each one around the other, and resists unravelling. A true blood knot exerts a lateral force on the ends of the lines which are joined, rather than a squeezing action true in some similated blood knots, and the result is a stronger knot.
Just as the length of leader material must be tied securely together without undue enlargement of the leader, the leader must be connected to the hook of the fishing fly without detracting from the appeal of the fly to fish. Again, the knot must be small and yet secure. Fishermen traditionally use the clinch knot for this purpose, and while a clinch knot is easier to tie than a blood knot, it still requires considerable dexterity. Other knots present similar problems.
The present invention facilitates tying genuine blood knots and other knots, such as barrel knots and clinch knots. It possesses only a few parts, namely a frame, a post which projects into a gap in the frame, and winders which turn on the frame on each side of the gap. As such it is inexpensive to manufacture and simple to operate.